---
title: Moving to Zulip
---

import {Steps, TabItem, Tabs} from "@astrojs/starlight/components";

import FlattenedSteps from "../../components/FlattenedSteps.astro";
import ZulipNote from "../../components/ZulipNote.astro";
import ZulipTip from "../../components/ZulipTip.astro";
import CommunicationPoliciesIntro from "../include/_CommunicationPoliciesIntro.mdx";
import CommunicationPoliciesList from "../include/_CommunicationPoliciesList.mdx";
import ConfigureYourOrganization from "../include/_ConfigureYourOrganization.mdx";
import HowToInviteUsersToJoinImport from "../include/_HowToInviteUsersToJoinImport.mdx";
import HowToInviteUsersToJoinNoImport from "../include/_HowToInviteUsersToJoinNoImport.mdx";
import MovingToZulipIntro from "../include/_MovingToZulipIntro.mdx";
import PrepareForTransition1 from "../include/_PrepareForTransition1.mdx"
import PrepareForTransition2 from "../include/_PrepareForTransition2.mdx"
import SignUpForAPlan from "../include/_SignUpForAPlan.mdx";

<ZulipNote>
  Check out the dedicated guides for moving to Zulip from
  [Slack](/help/moving-from-slack), [Microsoft Teams](/help/moving-from-teams),
  [Discord](/help/moving-from-discord), and
  [more](/help/migrating-from-other-chat-tools).
</ZulipNote>

<MovingToZulipIntro />

The following steps are described in more detail below:

<Steps>
  1. [Create your organization](#create-your-organization).
  1. [Sign up for a plan](#sign-up-for-a-plan).
  1. [Configure your organization](#configure-your-organization).
  1. [Review and update communication policies](#review-and-update-communication-policies).
  1. [Prepare users for the transition](#prepare-users-for-the-transition).
  1. [Invite users to join](#invite-users-to-join).
</Steps>

Each organization is unique, but we hope these common practices will help you
think through the transition process in your own context.

## Create your organization

You can create a new Zulip Cloud organization in less than two minutes. Setting
up a self-hosted server will take a bit longer, but is easy to do with Zulip's
[robust
installer](https://zulip.readthedocs.io/en/stable/production/install.html).

Zulip has import tools for [Slack](/help/import-from-slack),
[Mattermost](/help/import-from-mattermost) and
[Rocket.Chat](/help/import-from-rocketchat). You can import your organization's
chat data, including message history, users, channels, and custom emoji. To
inquire about importing data from another product, [contact Zulip
support](/help/contact-support).

Data is imported into Zulip as a new organization, so the best time to import is
when your team is about to start using Zulip for day-to-day work. This may be
part of your evaluation process, or after you've made the decision to move to
Zulip.

<Tabs>
  <TabItem label="New organizations">
    <Steps>
      1. If you plan to self-host, [set up your Zulip
         server](https://zulip.readthedocs.io/en/stable/production/install.html). You
         can self-host Zulip directly on Ubuntu or Debian Linux, in
         [Docker](https://github.com/zulip/docker-zulip), or with prebuilt images for
         [Digital Ocean](https://marketplace.digitalocean.com/apps/zulip) and
         [Render](https://render.com/docs/deploy-zulip).
      1. Create a Zulip organization [on Zulip Cloud](https://zulip.com/new/) or [on
         your self-hosted
         server](https://zulip.readthedocs.io/en/stable/production/install.html#step-3-create-a-zulip-organization-and-log-in).
    </Steps>
  </TabItem>

  <TabItem label="Imported organizations">
    <Steps>
      1. If you plan to self-host, [set up your Zulip
         server](https://zulip.readthedocs.io/en/stable/production/install.html). You
         can self-host Zulip directly on Ubuntu or Debian Linux, in
         [Docker](https://github.com/zulip/docker-zulip), or with prebuilt images for
         [Digital Ocean](https://marketplace.digitalocean.com/apps/zulip) and
         [Render](https://render.com/docs/deploy-zulip).
      1. To import data, follow the steps in the detailed import guides:
         * [Import from Slack](/help/import-from-slack)
         * [Import from Mattermost](/help/import-from-mattermost)
         * [Import from Rocket.Chat](/help/import-from-rocketchat)
    </Steps>
  </TabItem>
</Tabs>

## Sign up for a plan

<SignUpForAPlan />

## Configure your organization

<FlattenedSteps>
  <ConfigureYourOrganization />

  1. [Create channels](/help/create-channels), unless you've imported
     channels from another app. Zulip's [topics](/help/introduction-to-topics)
     give each conversation its own space, so one channel per team should be
     enough to get you started.
  1. Set up [integrations](/help/integrations-overview) so that your
     team can experience all their regular workflows inside the Zulip app.
</FlattenedSteps>

## Review and update communication policies

<CommunicationPoliciesIntro />

<CommunicationPoliciesList />

## Prepare users for the transition

Prepare an introduction to Zulip for your organization. It's often effective to
combine a written announcement with a live presentation. Recommended topics to
cover include:

<FlattenedSteps>
  <PrepareForTransition1 />

  1. Pointers to additional resources, such as Zulip's [getting started
     guide](/help/getting-started-with-zulip).

  <PrepareForTransition2 />
</FlattenedSteps>

## Invite users to join

<Tabs>
  <HowToInviteUsersToJoinNoImport />

  <HowToInviteUsersToJoinImport />
</Tabs>

<ZulipTip>
  Remember to update links and login instructions to point to Zulip.
</ZulipTip>

Congratulations on making the move! If you have any questions or feedback
throughout this process, please [reach out](/help/contact-support) to the Zulip
team.

## Related articles

* [Trying out Zulip](/help/trying-out-zulip)
* [Zulip Cloud or self-hosting?](/help/zulip-cloud-or-self-hosting)
* [Migrating from other chat tools](/help/migrating-from-other-chat-tools)
* [Moving from Slack](/help/moving-from-slack)
* [Getting started with Zulip](/help/getting-started-with-zulip)
